Process for imparting new effects to cotton fabrics



' Patented Apr. 7, 1925,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT SCHNHOLZER, F HORN, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNO'R TO THE, FIRM RADUNER 8s 00., A.-G., 0F HORN (CT. THURGAU), SWITZERLAND.

rnocnss ron imrnarmo NEW nrrncrs 'ro cor'roiv FABRICS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT SoH6NHoLzn'R, a citizen of the 'Re ublic of Switzerland, residing at Horn t. Thurgau), Sw1tzer- 5 land, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Process for Impart ng New Effects to Cotton Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

It is already known to obtain transparcut or wool-like effects on cotton fabrics with the dry fabnc and moreover to-achieve or a linen-like lustrous appearance on fabrics having coarser yarns by the action of sulfuric acid of at least 5O B. used at normal temperature, i. e. above 5 (1., and

of sulfuric acid of below 50 B. used at temperatures below 0 C., and'wlth or without a subsequent or preliminary treatment with alkali lye, and with or without being stretched, the effect obtained depending onwhich of the various treatments is adopted. The unexpected observation has now been made that if, instead of treating completely dry fabrics, as has been exclusively done up to the present, fabrics having a content of moisture of at least are subjected to the action of concentrated sulfuric acid of the above stated strengths, not a weaker alteration of" the fabric is obtained as might be explained by the oo- 30 curring dilution, but on the contrary much more pronounced effects are obtained. The difference in the. degree of action and in ithe alteration of the fabric thus caused is far greater than the difference presenting itself by utilizing acid cooled to a low temperature as against'using acid of a normal temperature. T a

This remarkable behaviour, which appears to be contradictory to the chemical 40 laws according to which the action must be intensified with increasing concentraetion, may be explained by assuming that in the present case the acid will penetrate much quicker and deeper into the interior of the spun thread as well as of the fibre As these difierences in the. effects are pronounced in the same manner whether the action of the acid is only very short or whether itlasts for several minutes, the quicker penetration is not quite, sufiicient to explain the facts, the contents of water ap- Application filed February 11, 1924. Serial No. 692,172.

pear to operate to prepare the path for the acid and to place the material in condition to permit a deeper penetration of the acid than is the case with a dry fabric.

The technicalutilization of this phenomenon renders it possible either to substantially reduce the acid concentration otherwise necessary or to shorten the time of action, which is of equal technical importance, in order to obtain the same effects as novel effects with the moistened fabric consisting in substantially enhanced shrinking effects.

Emample 1.

Mercerized muslin fabric is uniformly moistened to a contentof moisture of 80 50.3 B. at a temperature of 5 C. and

for a period of 1 minute. The fabric obtained thereby has a full, Wool-like appearance and a wool-like touch. A fabric which for sake of comparison has been treated in the same manner with sulphuric acid, but which has not been moistened previous to the acid treatment is harder and dull and has no wool-like character.

Example 2.

Non-mercerized muslin fabric is moistened in the manner stated in example 1 and is thereupon treated with sulphuric acid of a specific gravity of 1.530 equal to 50 B. at a temperature of 0 C. and for a period of 1 minute. Thereby 'a fabric having a very pronounced wool-like touch and which has shrunk very much is obtained; a fabric which has thus been treated without being moistened shows much less shrinking.

Ewmple 5.

By means of a subsequent mercerizing under tension with cold lye a good transparent effect is obtained and the fabric has an enhanced softness over transparent fabrics obtained when treating the dry fabric at lower temperatures or'with acids of a higher concentration.

- Example 4.

Upon mercerized or non-mercerized muslin fabric any desired pattern, for instance stripes, are printed immediately before the acid treatment by the aid of water so that the printed parts are uniformly moist and are brought into the acid bath with a content of moisture of above If, for instance, acid of a specific gravity of 1.540 at a temperature of 10 C. is used a very pronounced pattern eflect is obtained by this treatment as the threads become thicker and stick together. The obtained pattern eflect may be enhanced by dyeing in consequence of the diiference with which 'the printed parts and the plain parts absorb the dye. Further the difi'erent action of the acid on these parts may be used to achieve crape efi'ects.

The following effects obtained by the treatment of moist fabrics and of dry fab-.

I rics may be stated for sake of comparispecific gravity of 1.540 at -10 C. and for son Mercerized muslin fabric:

a 1. Treatment with sulphuric acid of a is closer and becomes soft and wool-like.

2. Treatment with sulphuric acid' of a 1 minute:

The dry fabric becomes transparent, hard and coarse; the moist fabric becomes plastered up like paper.

Unmercerized muslin fabric:

3. Treatment. with sulphuric acid of a specific gravity of 1.520 at 5 C. and for 1 minute:

The dry fabric is made somewhat closer I and becomes somewhat coarser.

.centrations may be employed. By means of reseryes the action of the acids or of the alkali solution may be prevented locally in order to produce pattern efl'ects.

resents The present process may be applied to plain fabrics as well. as to fabrics provide 7 with patterns or embroideries.

I claim:

1. In the preparation of cotton fabrics fo a treatment by acids for producing transparent or wool like effects, the step which comprisesmoistening at least part of the fabric so that it contains moisture to an eX- tent of not less than thirty per cent of the weight of the dry fabric so moistened and before subjecting it to the acid treatment.

2. In the preparation of mercerizedcotton fabrics for treatment by acids to produce transparent and wool-like efiects, the step which comprises moistening at least part of the fabric so that it has a moisture content of at least thirty per cent of the dry fabric that has been moistened and before the -fab ric is treated with acid. r

3. In the preparation of cotton fabrics correspond to a desired pattern to an extent of at least thirty percent of the weight of that part of the dry fabric so moistened and before subjecting it to the acid treatment.

4. In the preparation of cotton fabrics for treatment by acids to produce a transparentor a wool like effect, the step which comprises: printing a fabric with a reserve and providing a moisture content in the nonprinted portion of at least thirty percent of the weight of said non-printed portion when dry and previous toits immersion in the acid.

5. In the treatment of cotton fabrics by such acids as are used to produce transparent or wool-like effects, the process which comprises moistening atleast part of the fabric to an extent of not less than thirty percent of the weight of the dry fabric so moistened previous to treatment with the acid, and after such treatment mercerizing the fabric.

6. In the treatment of cotton fabrics by such acid'sas are used to produce transparent onwool-hlre effects,,the procem which comprises moistenmg at least part of a previously mercerized fabric with not less. than i thirty percent of the weight of the dry fabric so moistened, then subjecting it to the action of the acid and subsequently mercerizingthe acid treated fabric.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. 7

ALBERT SCI-lijNl-IOLZER. 

